


Darling

by koto



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Getting Together, M/M, Marriage Proposal, friends with benefits to lovers?, somewhat spontaneous decision making
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27613094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koto/pseuds/koto
Summary: “What? I love you. You know that. You love me too. And I’ve known you since I was what? Eighteen? Nineteen? And I’m twenty-five now?”“What does that have to do with it?” Minho asks. At first he thought he was being rejected, but that’s not really the vibe he’s getting anymore. He’s lost.“Well, I’ve known you forever. And I’ve always known that I would keep knowing you forever. You and me for life, man. So if we’re going to do this, we should just do it.”**This has been revised a bit see notes for more detail**
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 66
Kudos: 477





	Darling

**Author's Note:**

> ***REVISION*** Hello, everyone! This fic has gotten a lot of love, but the more I reread it and the more comments I got I just felt like their change in relationship status was coming across as a lot more sudden than I ever intended it to be. I've added in a few extra details and shifted a bit of dialogue (nothing has been deleted, only added), and I think this suits what I originally intended of them a bit more. If you've read it, obviously you don't need to feel obligated to re-read (though I do think it's better now and it's only a tiny bit longer), but I think it's a lot better now. Writing and editing this in one night made me feel good, but I did think it could be a little clearer, and although everyone's comments were nothing but nice they did confirm that feeling for me. I hope this makes the work better, and I hope it doesn't ruin it for those who already enjoyed, but I didn't feel comfortable keeping it out there when I felt like it could be exponentially better with such minimal changes. Anyway, let me know what you think if you'd like. Or don't! Thank you for all the love <3
> 
> Hello! This is another one-night-wonder written over the course of a few hours because SOMEONE said SOMETHING about minsung that I couldn't get out of my head. It's also very loosely based on how my parents got together, though I don't know the full dirty details of that (and don't want to), this is a loose interpretation from what I can gauge. It's really corny but I really like how it turned out. I hope you do too!
> 
> I am also fully aware that this is REALLY similar to what I just posted, like probably TOO similar, but honestly? It's a concept that doesn't leave my mind. I hope you can appreciated their uniquities and I promise I'm working on something totally different as well but this was a very spur of the moment thing and because it is loosely connected to a story from my actual life I still really wanted to write it. If it seems like I'm becoming repetitive, well, I probably am.
> 
> Find me on twitter at https://twitter.com/0hrhj0  
> Ask me questions on CC at uriouscat.qa/Koto16

_How long have they been doing this for?_

Minho rolls onto his side to look over at Jisung. Jisung, who is laying next to him, who is bundled up under flannel covers with only his bare shoulders and arms poking out, just enough to hold his phone up to his chest as he watches something on youtube with a sleepy glaze over his eyes. Flannel because Minho’s apartment is too drafty, and while in summer they were perfectly content to push the covers off the bed and let the breeze from the window cool down their naked bodies, the crisp autumn air is a bit too much for Jisung to handle. He had complained about it enough that Minho went out and bought the warmest duvet cover he could find, even though he himself usually ended up sleeping with it half on and half off. And that had been… maybe three years ago? Four?

_Far, far too long._

This isn’t how they started out. They met at a party in college and became fast friends, even though Minho was graduating that year. They stayed close even when Minho moved on from school and was a New Professional with a New Boyfriend and a New Apartment in a New World. Jisung was simply a really great friend, _is_ a really great friend, always understands what he needs and matches his humor and does little things to brighten up dull days. He’s the best friend.

That’s why when the New Boyfriend turned out to be a massive asshole (which Minho somehow took two years to figure out) and left his heart shattered into pieces and his confidence right alongside it, Jisung did what he could to make Minho feel loveable again. To convince him that he wasn’t atrocious, that he was still beautiful, that his body wasn’t broken and his heart shouldn’t be either. And somehow that had ended up with them entangled in the sheets together, as many times as it took to convince Minho that he should be cherished and appreciated and to rebuild his self worth. It didn’t take very long. 

So when the pieces of Minho had been put back together and he was comfortable enough with himself, they stopped. Minho had a few flings, Jisung found a good boyfriend in a colleague named Hyunjin (which eventually ended due to a sudden career-oriented move across the country), and their friendship stayed as tight-knit as ever. Jisung started dating again too, though they never lasted as long as they had with Hyunjin. But every so often, when they were both single, they’d find themselves like this in Minho’s bed. For the sheer sake of convenience. 

_Right?_

But the thing is, Minho hasn’t been trying so hard lately not to be single. He hasn’t been trying at all, actually. It’s not some mid-to-late twenties crisis where he’s decided to be single forever because people are hopeless and terrible and he’s incapable of love, it’s just… maybe it’s time for a different approach. It doesn’t seem like Jisung is trying lately either, because this is how they’ve spent every weekend for the past several months at least; cozied up in bed after a good romp, chattering about nothing or watching youtube together or simply enjoying the warmth and presence they bring to each other in silence. Sometimes that silence speaks volumes.

Because something has been quietly stewing between them, and Minho doesn't think he's the only one who feels it even if it's never acknowledged. The way their touches linger lately, even outside of the bedroom. How Jisung's body seems to tuck itself into Minho's on their regular Friday movie nights, and the fact that they even have a regularly scheduled _anything_ on a night that would normally be their best chance to go out and meet new people. The way that Jisung has become Minho's automatic plus-one to events (and vice-versa), because why should he bother to find a date when he knows the night will be better with his best friend by his side? Wedding season is coming to a close and they had attended no less than four ceremonies for their friends over the spring and summer together. He supposes that this is the age to get hitched, and there's a growing list of friends within their mid-to-late-twenties like he is that have invited him to watch them take that step. It's comfortable by now to down a couple glasses of champagne with Jisung as they sway against each other on temporary dance floors and make use of discounted hotel rooms provided by their hosts. There's nobody he'd rather do it with.

“Jisung.”

“Hmm?” Jisung hums in response, not looking up from his video but acknowledging Minho’s question. He looks adorable despite the fact that the way his head is propped up is giving him an absolute double chin. 

“Look at me, please?” Minho requests. Jisung pauses the video and puts his phone down, following Minho’s request and rolling to his side so they’re facing each other. His hair is completely mussed and his cheek is squished up from the pillow beneath him, but his slender neck stands out when he lays down and his golden skin glows against the white sheets and beige bedspread. Minho smiles and Jisung follows suit, then leans in and pecks him quickly on the nose. He’s always told Minho he has a good nose, but lately he seems to dote on it more in the form of little kisses and squeezes that make Minho’s heart flutter like a kids. 

Minho breathes in slowly and exhales the same way, trying to muster up the courage to ask what he’s about to. Jisung looks at him questioningly but lets him take his time. “What do you say we go out next Friday?” 

“Next Friday? Instead of movie night? Sure, we can do that. What were you thinking? The pub by my place just switched to seasonal beers, we could get the little tasting set?”

“No, I mean like… somewhere nice. Maybe Oak’s. Can I take you somewhere nice?” Minho asks. 

“Oak’s is expensive, are you sure?” Jisung ponders. “I’d have to get my nice jacket dry-cleaned, it's been collecting dust. Also, that’s totally your first date spot.”

“Well, yeah. That’s kind of what I’m asking,” Minho says cautiously, trying to read Jisung’s face. At first, he seemed pretty conversational and casual about the question. Now Minho can see the wheels turning as he starts to understand what’s being asked. He probably needs to clarify. “I’m asking you if you want to go on a date. Is that ok?”

“A date,” Jisung repeats, sucking in his lips and licking over them. 

“Yeah. What do you think?”

“You want to make this like… romantic? By taking me on a date?”

_Oh god._ Minho can feel his heart begin to race, his palms start to sweat, his brain go into overdrive, and all he can do to keep himself at peace is begin to pull on each finger and crack his knuckles one by one while he waits for a real answer. Jisung swats his hands away from one another after no more than a few seconds. He’s always hated that habit. “What do you think?” he asks again. 

“I think,” Jisung says slowly, clearly still in the midst of his thought process. “I think it’s kind of dumb,” he finally says. 

“Oh.”

_So it was one-sided._ He kind of thought they might be on the same page, what with only spending time with each other for the past long while. That there might be some kind of mutual thought that they’d both stopped looking because they had something good with each other. Minho rolls onto his back, unable to meet Jisung’s eyes for fear that his own might start watering. What was he thinking, doing this so spontaneously? 

“Wait, no, look at me. Come back here, I didn’t mean it like that,” Jisung says, scooting closer to Minho’s side and reaching over to his far shoulder. Minho blinks a few times and rolls back to look at Jisung. With the new distance they’re practically nose to nose, which Jisung takes advantage of to lay a little kiss on his lips. “I just don’t see the point of that.”

“That doesn’t sound that much better,” Minho says quietly.

“Well, it’s like. If you want to make this romantic, we should really just do it, right?”

“I thought that was what I was doing. By asking you on a date.”

“Ok, but dates are like what you do to get to know someone and see if you want to spend time together. I already know you, and I obviously want to spend time with you, right? So why should we date?” Jisung asks. His words slice a little, but from the look on his face Minho can tell he’s genuine and not trying to offend. 

“Because dating is how you start a relationship?”

“We already _have_ a relationship. I’m naked in your bed. I’ve _been_ naked in your bed more times than I can count,” Jisung persists. 

“But we don’t have _that_ kind of a relationship. The lovie-dovie kind.”

“What? I do love you. You know that. You love me too. And I’ve known you since I was what? Eighteen? Nineteen? And I’m twenty-five now?”

“What does that have to do with it?” Minho asks. At first he thought he was being rejected, but that’s not really the vibe he’s getting anymore. He’s lost.

“Well, I’ve known you forever. And I’ve always known that I would _keep_ knowing you forever. You and me for life, man. So if we’re going to do this, we should just _do it._ ”

“As in?”

“Like, why the hell are we going to date? If we’re going to finally be _together_ together, we should just commit. Get married, right?”

“What the hell?” 

_What the actual hell?_

“I really think so! Because that whole dating and courting period is to try and figure out if you could spend the rest of your life with someone, and I already know I can. That’s kind of why I gave up on dating, honestly. But if you aren’t ready to settle down or whatever, we can try dating. I just think it’s dumb.”

“No, I am ready to settle down,” Minho says without thinking. He’s not really sure if he processed that information until just now, but maybe that’s why he’d finally asked. He’s sick of dating because he’s ready to settle down. And the person who comes to mind when he thinks of settling down isn’t some celebrity crush, or some beautiful stranger he’d passed by in the grocery store, or anyone intangible really. He doesn’t make a point to daydream, but when his mind does wander into visions of his future, the person who is there without a shadow of a doubt is Jisung. It's not as if the dance floor of a wedding ceremony is foreign to him, especially one with Jisung by his side. Maybe the suggestion isn't crazy. Maybe they'd been practicing without even knowing it yet. “Yeah, I’m absolutely ready to settle down. Are you ready to settle down? You’re younger than me. Are you sure you don’t want to play the field a little longer? You're not just doing this because everyone around us is getting hitched?”

Jisung laughs at that, big and hearty in a way that makes Minho regret the question. He doesn’t want Jisung to play the field, he wants this to himself. “No, I don’t. And no, I'm not,” Jisung says, leaning in and pressing his lips to Minho’s own. The kiss is charged, not with lust or the desire to satisfy a need but with exploration and questioning. They’ve kissed many times before, but Minho had refused to let himself overanalyze how they felt. Why they felt better than kisses with boyfriends, why they made his heart race even when they were slow and steady, why they always left him wanting more. Like he wanted them forever. “I'm not that reckless. I really think... I think it's me and you. I think... I can't see myself without you," he whispers in between kisses, pulling away just long enough to get his word in and then closing the gap before Minho can respond. Not that he's complaining; every single second they spend with their lips intertwined is convincing him of that same sentiment more and more. "So, what do you think?” Jisung asks when he pulls away for good after who knows how long.

“That was my question,” Minho teases, smiling when Jisung pouts at the response. 

“I’m turning the tables.”

“I think,” Minho starts, trying to think over his options. His mind is surprisingly void of words, instead filled with the buzz and excitement of a future with Jisung. “I think yeah. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes? What am I supposed to say?”

“I think you’re supposed to say ‘I do,’,” Jisung says smugly. Minho feels himself heat up at that, especially when the vision of Jisung standing at the altar in a suit with a ring in hand flashes through his head. 

“Shut up.”

“That’s really rude, maybe I shouldn’t have suggested it,” Jisung says. Minho laughs and grabs Jisung’s hand, running a thumb over it and pausing to inspect his ring finger. He brings it to his lips and presses a kiss to the lowest section, right where a ring would sit. 

“I do.”

Jisung doesn’t say anything in response, and Minho moves the hand away from his lips so he can properly look at Jisung’s face. He’s smiling, big and bright and heart shaped, but Minho sees the wetness in his eyes threatening to spill over as he’s overtaken by emotion. 

“Are you crying?”

“No,” Jisung says, blinking rapidly to try to push the tears back into his skull. It backfires and Minho laughs as they’re let loose, though he brushes them away with gentle thumbs and leans in to kiss the salty trail they’ve left behind. 

“I didn’t expect this when I asked you on a date,” Minho whispers into his cheek. 

“Me neither,” Jisung sobs in response. He’s always been one to cry when he’s excited, and Minho isn’t expecting the waterworks to stop anytime soon. 

“So, we’re engaged?” he asks, knowing it will spark even more of a reaction. He’s alarmingly calm and collected right now, and while he’s sure the emotions will hit him head-on later, right now everything is coming up roses.

“Yeah,” Jisung sobs again.

“My fiancé is a crybaby,” Minho teases. The word comes out easily, far moreso than he ever imagined they could. 

“I love you,” Jisung says, moving away from Minho to wipe his tears on the soft flannel of the comforter. Minho looks at the wet spot and laughs.

“I love you too, you big baby. There’s tissues on the nightstand, you know,” he says. Jisung nods and rolls over to grab a few, making Minho laugh even harder when he dramatically blows his nose into one and tosses it into the trash. He hears the drawer of the nightstand open and the sound of Jisung digging around, though he’s sure it was quite well organized before. 

“What are you looking for?”

“You’ll see, “ Jisung says gruffly, voice still wet with tears. After a minute he returns to his spot with a red pen in his grip. 

“What’s that for?”

“I wanted a sharpie, but this will have to do. Give me this,” Jisung says, grabbing Minho’s left hand. “Tradition is tradition.”

“I have a sharpie in the other room,” Minho says, finally understanding what Jisung wants to do when he separates Minho’s ring finger from the others. 

“I don’t want to get up, it’s cold. Besides, red is pretty. It symbolizes love,” he argues back. To Minho’s surprise, he doesn’t begin to draw a ring, just a simple red heart that takes up a small portion of his lower phalange. When he’s finished he holds Minho’s hand back to inspect it, then gives it a kiss to signal its completion. 

“Thank you,” Minho says, admiring the symbol himself. It’s pretty and perfect and pure, and the only thing he doesn’t like is how quickly it’s bound to fade. “I think I’ll get it tattooed.”

“What? That’s not fair, I want one too.”

“Then give me the pen,” Minho says, grabbing it when Jisung holds it out to him. He does his best rendition of a heart on Jisung’s own finger, though it turns out a bit more narrow than he’d like. “Wait, can you wash it off? I want to fix it,” he says. Jisung pulls his hand away to look at it, making Minho drop the pen onto the comforter, and smiles. 

“No. I like it.”

“But-”

“It’s perfect. I’m keeping it. Forever.”

Minho sighs and reaches to grab the pen, frowning when he sees a little red ink mark where it had fallen. “Damn.”

“What? Oh, shit, sorry. Is it gonna stain?” Jisung asks, thumbing over the spot. 

“Probably. It’s fine, it’s small,” Minho says.

“Well, here,” Jisung says, grabbing the pen back. He marks over the spot with a third little heart, one that perfectly lines up with the one on Minho’s finger. “Now it matches us.”

“That’s great, Jisung. Thanks for vandalizing my duvet.”

  
“You wouldn’t have this duvet if not for me. I made it better. I make everything better.”

“You’re cocky,” Minho says fondly, stealing the pen from Jisung and putting it on the nightstand before pulling Jisung into another kiss. 

“You love it.”

“I do.”

“Will you still take me on that date?”

“I will.”

“I’m excited,” Jisung says quietly, pausing to put his thoughts into words. “To spend my life with you.”

“Me too.”

“I really do love you, you know?”

Minho smiles fondly at Jisung. His best friend of seven years, his fiancé of several minutes. His future for... well, for forever.

“I really love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I love comments so if you've got something to say please do share!!!


End file.
